Interview Cover Letter

A cover letter is an official letter that accompanies the resume and reaffirms the applicant's candidature. A well written cover letter can effectively bring out the high points of the resume and fill in more relevant details about the candidate. It briefly elaborates on the candidate's experience and the skill developed through it and conveys how he/she would be best suited to the job in question. It ends by subtly requesting the recruiter to invite the candidate for an interview. The main aim of an interview cover letter is to convince the employers to take your candidature seriously by giving your resume the attention it deserves and fetching you the opportunity of an interview.

Some useful tips to draft an interview cover letter

• Keep the look professional and business like: You must format the cover letter so that it looks like an official document and not just a casual letter. Start with your name and contact details at the top left hand corner followed by the company name and address. It would be if you begin your salutation by addressing the recipient by either the full or last name but never on a first name basis. That might be misconstrued as an attempt to be unnecessarily friendly
• Begin by introducing yourself: You should begin by mentioning how you came across the job opening and briefly state why you believe you are well qualified for the job. Add one or two of your strongest aptitudes and skills to catch the reader's attention and retain it so that it gives a good chance to your resume to be read in detail
• Describe more about yourself in the body of the letter: Here you state a bit about the last position you held or about any recent training or certification that has helped hone and refine some valuable qualities in you, adding weight and credibility to your candidature
• The last paragraph: You could end the letter by requesting for the opportunity of an interview where you would be able to further discuss your expertise vis a vis the job profile. Finally thank the reader for having considered your application and say that you hope for a positive response from them.

  It is important to end on a confident note and ensure that you have provided all the correct contact details should they need to get in touch with you. The sample interview cover letter given below is sure to guide you to draft an excellent one for yourself.

Interview Cover Letter

Lee A. Miller
1968 Farnum Road
New York, NY 10007
Phone:212-349-5434
Email Address:leeAmiller@abc.com
Jan 20 2012

Angela C. Stalvey
3795 White River Way
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Dear Ms Stavley,

I write in response to the online advertisement posted a few days ago about a vacancy in The Morning Herald for the post of Assistant Editor. I have completed my post graduate diploma in Journalism and Mass communication and have been in this field for the last 5 years. I believe that my passion for writing, coupled with my rich experience and all the skills that I have acquired through it, make me an ideal candidate for the post.

I am presently working in the editorial team of "The City Journal" a fortnightly magazine which has been rated as the most widely read publication in the state. My two year tenure there has fine tuned my knowledge of the nuances of reporting, editing and researching. I am comfortable in leading a team efficiently and ensuring that all targets and deadlines are met. My brief stint in broadcast journalism gave me a good insight into the art of interviewing prominent people from varied walks of life and in presenting news and views in a manner that is appealing as well as ethical.

My creativity, quest for research and information, organizational skills and upright moral values are my biggest assets and I am confident that I would be able to further the success of your organization and more than exceed your expectations. I would like to request you to grant me the opportunity of an interview so that I could discuss my candidature with you in person. I would be available to be contacted at the above contact details on all week days.

I would be in anticipation of a favourable reply.

Thanking you for having considered my application.

Yours sincerely,

Lee A. Miller

This is how a professional interview cover letter should look. You just need to use the same as a prototype and frame one for yourself on similar lines. Ensure that you add your unique and personal touch so that it is distinct and appealing and would succeed in its aim. Also, you can view Career Builder Cover Letter and Job Specific Cover Letter for more example of letters.